Our Funding Priorities:

  • Enhance firefighter safety and effectiveness

  • Invest in ways to improve the health and wellness of the firefighters

  • Deepen the Department’s connection with the communities it serves

Firefighter Health &
Wellness Initiatives

Suicide Prevention Efforts 

Firefighters are more likely to die by suicide than from responding to an on-duty incident. While recognition is growing of firefighter mental health needs, talking about suicide remains highly sensitive. Seattle Fire’s Peer Support program wants to increase its prevention efforts by sending members to the Applied Suicide
Intervention Skills Training (ASIST). These firefighters would then deliver that training to additional Seattle firefighters.

Initial goal: $15,000 plus $5,000 annually thereafter

Fitness Equipment for Fire Stations

The demands on members of the Seattle Fire Department continues to increase. Both the physical nature of the job as well as the stress level are significant challenges for the firefighters to manage. The ability to exercise for physical and mental health during the shift may never be more important. 

Annual goal: $50,000 to replace/update equipment

Peer Support Therapy Dogs 

In October 2021, Seattle Fire launched a pilot program to bring the therapeutic benefits that therapy dogs provide to supporting the emotional needs of department personnel. More commonly seen in the veteran community to lower effects of PTSD, the fire service is now understanding the positive impact therapy dogs can have on firefighter stress levels and increased morale.

Currently, the three SFD firefighter/dog handlers cover 100% of the costs of training, vet care, food and grooming. Donations will provide stipends to each dog handler to offset their ongoing expenses.

Annual goal: $10,000